The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a steering gear box and, more particularly, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to a steering gear box and an associated vehicle frame and method for protecting occupants of the vehicle and/or a front drive unit of the vehicle from damage during a frontal vehicular impact, for example.
Some conventional vehicles include a steering gear box mounted to a front subframe coupled to a body portion of the vehicle. During a crash event, the subframe and the steering gear box detach and drop from the body portion, thereby preventing a negative effect on the deceleration of the vehicle. Controlled deceleration can increase occupant safety during crash events. However, such mounting techniques are not applicable for a vehicle having a rear mounted engine that does not include the front subframe for mounting the steering gear box.